Frontier League Continues to Expand, Adds Team in North Carolina

After the Frontier League announced their expansion team in Pearl, Mississippi last week, everyone was waiting to see where the next expansion team would be added.

That announcement has come with the introduction of the Down East Bird Dawgs, located in Kinston, North Carolina.

The Bird Dawgs will replace the single-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers, the  Down East Wood Ducks from the Carolina league. That team will be relocating to South Carolina next season.

The new lease agreement between the City of Kinston and the Down East Bird Dawgs will run for an initial term of three years, from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2027, with two optional three-year extensions that could extend the lease through September 30, 2033. This lease is expected to be presented to and voted on by the Kinston City Council during its meeting on September 17 at 7:00 p.m.

The move is an interesting one for the Frontier League as North Carolina and earlier announced Mississippi are located far away from their normal geographic. The closest teams are over 7 hours away.

The addition of two new teams will also shake up the divisions and scheduling. The Frontier League plans on going from two to four divisions for the 2025 season, but that breakdown has not been announced yet.

Official Press Release

KINSTON, NC – The Frontier League is proud to announce that the Down East Bird Dawgs will be added for the 2025 season, expanding the league to 18 teams.

Cameron McRae, a business owner from North Carolina, will serve as the new team’s primary owner. McRae has been a part of Kinston baseball for over three decades, including being the original owner and primary investor of the Kinston Indians in 1994. His other business ventures include ownership and operation of 72 Bojangles’ Famous Chicken restaurants, a golf course, a convenience store, and many different management companies.

Serving as the general manager will be Shari Massengill. Like McRae, Shari has been associated with professional baseball in North Carolina and the Kinston ballclub since the 1990s. She began as an office manager for the Indians before being promoted to general manager, where she served until 2010. She then served as the assistant general manager of the Gwinnett Stripers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, for nearly a decade. Massengill’s accolades in baseball include winning the Calvin Falwell Award as the top executive in the Carolina League as well as being named the Rawlings Woman Executive of the Year in 2007.

Grainger Stadium will serve as the home of the Bird Dawgs in 2025. First opened in 1949, Grainger Stadium has hosted professional and collegiate baseball for over 75 years and remains one of the oldest and most historic ballparks in professional baseball. The stadium also hosts the annual Freedom Classic series between Navy and Air Force.

“We are excited to welcome the Down East Bird Dawgs to the Frontier League,” said Frontier League Commissioner Steve Tahsler. “Beginning with our first visit to Kinston this spring, we have been overwhelmed with the passion and commitment from Cam McRae, Bill Ellis, Susan Barrett, and Scott Alston to keep professional baseball in Grainger Stadium. Sheri Massengill has a great baseball background and will be a quality addition to our roster of general managers.”